Issaquah 9 theaters to close

The opening of the new Regal Issaquah Highlands 12 theater will lead to a closing, remodeling and renaming of the Pickering Place location.

According to applications filed with the city Development Services Department, the Regal Issaquah 9 Theatres will be remodeled into a Cinebarre.

“Cinebarre did submit an application a few weeks back,” Issaquah Project Oversight Manager Christopher Wright said last week about the location. “Plan reviewer comments are due at the end of this week and I would say that they are two to four weeks out from getting their tenant improvement building permit.”

Regal Entertainment Group Western Regional Marketing Manager Rachel Lueras confirmed that the imminent unveiling of the new cinema, scheduled for June 26, would mean a different direction for the Regal Issaquah 9.

“The Issaquah 9 will close with the opening of the new facility,” Lueras said in a phone interview. “It will close briefly for a remodel and then reopen later in the year.”

However, she would not specify what would become of the 20-year fixture in Pickering Place.

“We’ll have more information on what that will look like at a later date,” she said. “It will have a new identity to come.”

Formed in 2007 as a joint venture between Regal Entertainment Group and the former CEO of the Alamo Drafthouse in Austin, Texas, Cinebarre is a full-dining movie-going experience, offering beer and wine. There are only six locations in the United States, including one in Mountlake Terrace. Cinebarre’s theaters are age-restricted to people at least 18 or older. At the Mountlake Terrace location, attendees must be 21 or older.

“Outside, there will only be painting and light remodeling,” Wright said about the Pickering Place building. “All the changes are interior. They will add a kitchen.”

When asked about changing the Regal Issaquah 9 to a Cinebarre, Lueras declined to comment, saying only that the Regal Entertainment Group would say more in the days to come. There was also no information on whether any staff would move from the Pickering Place theater to the new highlands location.

Comments

5 Responses to “Issaquah 9 theaters to close”

Smoley on
June 26th, 2013 9:32 am

I don’t know. I would think that serving food and alcohol in a theater would only add more distraction to the viewing experience. I’m there to watch the show, not to eat food in the dark (“that wasn’t an olive – what was it??? eeeww!”) and have to tolerate some over-served drunk frat bros that won’t shut up.

I wonder how much a theater would have to charge at the ticket booth to make enough money to allow you to bring in your own snacks, as Safeco field does for Mariners’ games?

Lyn on
June 27th, 2013 2:36 pm

I love this plan!! Having recently moved to the area from San Antonio, TX, I truly missed going to the Alamo Drafthouse. They provided one of the best movie watching experiences possible.
Special events and midnight release parties were the entertainment highlights of my month. I loved attending the midnight showing of the final Harry Potter film while drinking butterbeer and chasing the “golden snitch”, aka, a girl dressed in all gold, for a chance to win a free pitcher of beer and movie tickets before the film began – 4th of July, Team America: World Police, complete with cap guns, glow sticks, and American flags to wave – Octoberfest showing of Beerfest with flip cup, beerpong, and lederhosen – watching the evil dead trilogy with trivia and movie discussions… I could go on and on. I’m hoping that, although they partnered with Regal, they will offer events like this at cinebarre.

Vos Normandy on
June 29th, 2013 10:36 am

I agree with Lyn – having lived within walking distance to a similar theater in Dallas, TX I can confirm that they are a lot of fun and better than your average theater-viewing experience. Hardly the environment Smoley is describing, the crowd is usually easy-going professionals looking for a casual night out. Good times and a good addition to Issaquah.

Amanda on
July 2nd, 2013 11:30 am

I’m so excited! I heard rumors back in the spring!!! I’m so excited! They aren’t as good as Studio Movie Grill- but we really like that place in Montlake Terrace, it’s just so far from Issaquah. I can’t wait!!!

Gabrielle Larsen on
February 26th, 2014 10:17 pm

I am so sad that my childhood theater that opened a year before I was born is closed. I saw my first movies there, first movie dates, ect. My boyfriend I drove up one day and it was closed. I didn’t even get the chance to have my official last movie there. Really sucks when corporate America over runs your childhood places and destroys what could’ve been a continued legacy. It was dirty and old and not that fancy but it was home. Deeply sadden by this and it even makes me upset just thinking about it. That’s life I guess, people make choices without thinking about communities.

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